Inflatable air mattress snoring detection and response and related methods

ABSTRACT

A method can be provided that includes measuring sound waves using a sound measuring device, determining, at a central controller of an air mattress system, one or more parameter values of the sound waves, comparing the one or more parameter values with values, ranges, or patterns indicative of snoring, identifying a snoring state of a user, and initiating, with the central controller, a change to one or more adjustable features of the air mattress system.

CROSS-REFERENCES

This Application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 61/782,394, filed on Mar. 14, 2013, the disclosure ofwhich is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

The subject matter described in this application is related to subjectmatter disclosed in the following applications: U.S. Application Ser.No. 61/781,266, filed on Mar. 14, 2013, entitled “INFLATABLE AIRMATTRESS ALARM AND MONITORING SYSTEM”; U.S. Application Ser. No.61/781,503, filed on Mar. 14, 2013, entitled “INFLATABLE AIR MATTRESSSYSTEM ARCHITECTURE”; U.S. Application Ser. No. 61/781,541, filed onMar. 14, 2013, entitled “INFLATABLE AIR MATTRESS AUTOFILL AND OFF BEDPRESSURE ADJUSTMENT”; U.S. Application Ser. No. 61/781,571, filed onMar. 14, 2013, entitled “INFLATABLE AIR MATTRESS SLEEP ENVIRONMENTADJUSTMENT AND SUGGESTIONS”; U.S. Application Ser. No. 61/781,296, filedon Mar. 14, 2013, entitled “INFLATABLE AIR MATTRESS WITH LIGHT AND VOICECONTROLS”; U.S. Application Ser. No. 61/781,311, filed on Mar. 14, 2013,entitled “INFLATABLE AIR MATTRESS SYSTEM WITH DETECTION TECHNIQUES.” Thecontents of each of the above-referenced U.S. patent applications areherein incorporated by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This patent document pertains generally to mattress systems and moreparticularly, but not by way of limitation, to an inflatable airmattress system.

BACKGROUND

Air bed systems, such as the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,172which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, generallyallow a user to select a desired pressure for each air chamber withinthe mattress. Upon selecting the desired pressure, a signal is sent to apump and valve assembly in order to inflate or deflate the air bladdersas necessary in order to achieve approximately the desired pressurewithin the air bladders.

In various examples, an air mattress control system allows a user toadjust the firmness or position of an air mattress bed. The mattress mayhave more than one zone thereby allowing a left and right side of themattress to be adjusted to different firmness levels. Additionally, thebed may be adjustable to different positions. For example, the headsection of the bed may be raised up while the foot section of the bedstays in place. In various examples, two separate remote controls areused to adjust the position and firmness, respectively.

A common problem experienced by many people is snoring. Snoring can notonly result in poor sleep quality and potential health issues, but itcan also disturb another person who is sleeping in the same room, suchas a spouse sleeping in the same bed. Some people deal with the problemby waking the snorer up in order to stop the snoring. However, thesnorer often begins snoring again after going back to sleep. Moreover,waking the snorer also interrupts the snorer's sleep.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Some embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not limitation inthe figures of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of an air bed system, accordingto an example.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of various components of the air bed system ofFIG. 1, according to an example.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an air bed system architecture, accordingto an example.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a machine in the example form of a computersystem within which a set instructions, for causing the machine toperform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein, may beexecuted.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram depicting an example method of detectingsnoring of a user using biometric parameters, in accordance with varioustechniques of this disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram depicting an example method of detectingsnoring of a user using sound waves, in accordance with varioustechniques of this disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram depicting an example method of makingadjustments to a room environment or a bed in response to detectingsnoring of a user, in accordance with various techniques of thisdisclosure.

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic representation of a sleep profile reportgenerated on a laptop computer, in accordance with various techniques ofthis disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of an air bed system 10 in anexample embodiment. The system 10 can include a bed 12, which cancomprise at least one air chamber 14 surrounded by a resilient border 16and encapsulated by bed ticking 18. The resilient border 16 can compriseany suitable material, such as foam.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the bed 12 can be a two chamber design havinga first air chamber 14A and a second air chamber 14B. The first andsecond air chambers 14A and 14B can be in fluid communication with apump 20. The pump 20 can be in electrical communication with a remotecontrol 22 via a control box 24. The remote control 22 can communicatevia wired or wireless means with the control box 24. The control box 24can be configured to operate the pump 20 to cause increases anddecreases in the fluid pressure of the first and second air chambers 14Aand 14B based upon commands input by a user through the remote control22. The remote control 22 can include a display 26, output selectingmeans 28, a pressure increase button 29, and a pressure decrease button30. The output selecting means 28 can allow the user to switch the pumpoutput between the first and second air chambers 14A and 14B, thusenabling control of multiple air chambers with a single remote control22. For example, output selecting means may by a physical control (e.g.,switch or button) or an input control displayed on the display 26.Alternatively, separate remote control units can be provided for eachair chamber and may each include the ability to control multiple airchambers. The pressure increase and decrease buttons 29 and 30 can allowa user to increase or decrease the pressure, respectively, in the airchamber selected with the output selecting means 28. Adjusting thepressure within the selected air chamber can cause a correspondingadjustment to the firmness of the air chamber.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram detailing data communication between certaincomponents of the air bed system 10 according to various examples. Asshown in FIG. 2, the control box 24 can include a power supply 34, aprocessor 36, memory 37, a switching means 38, and an analog to digital(A/D) converter 40. The switching means 38 can be, for example, a relayor a solid state switch. The switching means 38 can be located in thepump 20 rather than the control box 24.

The pump 20 and the remote control 22 can be in two-way communicationwith the control box 24. The pump 20 can include a motor 42, a pumpmanifold 43, a relief valve 44, a first control valve 45A, a secondcontrol valve 45B, and a pressure transducer 46, and can be fluidlyconnected with the first air chamber 14A and the second air chamber 14Bvia a first tube 48A and a second tube 48B, respectively. The first andsecond control valves 45A and 45B can be controlled by the switchingmeans 38, and can be operable to regulate the flow of fluid between thepump 20 and the first and second air chambers 14A and 14B, respectively.

In an example, the pump 20 and the control box 24 can be provided andpackaged as a single unit. Alternatively, the pump 20 and the controlbox 24 can be provided as physically separate units.

In operation, the power supply 34 can receive power, such as 110 VACpower, from an external source and can convert the power to variousforms required by certain components of the air bed system 10. Theprocessor 36 can be used to control various logic sequences associatedwith operation of the air bed system 10, as will be discussed in furtherdetail below.

The example of the air bed system 10 shown in FIG. 2 contemplates twoair chambers 14A and 14B and a single pump 20. However, other examplesmay include an air bed system having two or more air chambers and one ormore pumps incorporated into the air bed system to control the airchambers. In an example, a separate pump can be associated with each airchamber of the air bed system or a pump may be associated with multiplechambers of the air bed system. Separate pumps can allow each airchamber to be inflated or deflated independently and simultaneously.Furthermore, additional pressure transducers can also be incorporatedinto the air bed system such that, for example, a separate pressuretransducer can be associated with each air chamber. Additionally, one orboth of the chambers 14A and 14B can include multiple separate bladdersor “zones” within the chamber, such as one bladder for the head and onebladder for the body.

In the event that the processor 36 sends a decrease pressure command toone of the air chambers 14A or 14B, the switching means 38 can be usedto convert the low voltage command signals sent by the processor 36 tohigher operating voltages sufficient to operate the relief valve 44 ofthe pump 20 and open the control valves 45A or 45B. Opening the reliefvalve 44 can allow air to escape from the air chamber 14A or 14B throughthe respective air tube 48A or 48B. During deflation, the pressuretransducer 46 can send pressure readings to the processor 36 via the A/Dconverter 40. The A/D converter 40 can receive analog information fromthe pressure transducer 46 and can convert the analog information todigital information useable by the processor 36. The processor 36 maysend the digital signal to the remote control 22 to update the display26 on the remote control in order to convey the pressure information tothe user.

In the event that the processor 36 sends an increase pressure command,the pump motor 42 can be energized, sending air to the designated airchamber through the air tube 48A or 48B via electronically operating thecorresponding valve 45A or 45B. While air is being delivered to thedesignated air chamber in order to increase the firmness of the chamber,the pressure transducer 46 can sense pressure within the pump manifold43. Again, the pressure transducer 46 can send pressure readings to theprocessor 36 via the A/D converter 40. The processor 36 can use theinformation received from the A/D converter 40 to determine thedifference between the actual pressure in the air chamber 14A or 14B andthe desired pressure. The processor 36 can send the digital signal tothe remote control 22 to update the display 26 on the remote control inorder to convey the pressure information to the user.

Generally speaking, during an inflation or deflation process, thepressure sensed within the pump manifold 43 provides an approximation ofthe pressure within the air chamber. An example method of obtaining apump manifold pressure reading that is substantially equivalent to theactual pressure within an air chamber is to turn off the pump 20, allowthe pressure within the air chamber 14A or 14B and the pump manifold 43to equalize, and then sense the pressure within the pump manifold 43with the pressure transducer 46. Thus, providing a sufficient amount oftime to allow the pressures within the pump manifold 43 and the chamber14A or 14B to equalize may result in pressure readings that are accurateapproximations of the actual pressure within the air chamber 14A or 14B.In various examples, the pressure of 48A/B is continuously monitoredusing multiple pressure sensors.

In an example, another method of obtaining a pump manifold pressurereading that is substantially equivalent to the actual pressure withinan air chamber is through the use of a pressure adjustment algorithm. Ingeneral, the method can function by approximating the air chamberpressure based upon a mathematical relationship between the air chamberpressure and the pressure measured within the pump manifold 43 (duringboth an inflation cycle and a deflation cycle), thereby eliminating theneed to turn off the pump 20 in order to obtain a substantially accurateapproximation of the air chamber pressure. As a result, a desiredpressure setpoint within the air chamber 14A or 14B can be achievedwithout the need for turning the pump 20 off to allow the pressures toequalize. The latter method of approximating an air chamber pressureusing mathematical relationships between the air chamber pressure andthe pump manifold pressure is described in detail in U.S. applicationSer. No. 12/936,084, the entirety of which is incorporated herein byreference.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example air bed system architecture 300. Thearchitecture 300 includes a bed 301, e.g., an inflatable air mattress, acentral controller 302, a firmness controller 304, an articulationcontroller 306, a temperature controller 308 in communication with oneor more temperature sensors 309, an external network device 310, remotecontrollers 312, 314, and a voice controller 316. In addition toproviding for the input of vocal commands, the voice controller 316 canalso be used for detecting snoring of a sleeper as described in furtherdetail below. Thus, the voice controller 316 can include any detectionmeans capable of detecting sound waves, such as a microphone. Whiledescribed as using an air bed, the system architecture may also be usedwith other types of beds.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the central controller 302 includes thefirmness controller 304 and a pump 305. The system architecture 300 isconfigured as a star topology with the central controller 302 and thefirmness controller 304 functioning as the hub and the articulationcontroller 306, the temperature controller 308, the external networkdevice 310, the remote controllers 312, 314, and the voice controller316 functioning as possible spokes, also referred to herein ascomponents. Thus, in various examples, the central controller 302 acts arelay between the various components.

In yet another example, central controller 302 listens to communications(e.g., control signals) between components even if the communication isnot being relayed through central controller 302. For example, considera user sending a command using remote 312 to temperature controller 308.Central controller 302 may listen for the command and check to determineif instructions are stored at central controller 302 to override thecommand (e.g., it conflicts with a previous setting). Central controller302 may also log the command for future use (e.g., determining a patternof user preferences for the components).

In other examples, different topologies may be used. For example, thecomponents and the central controller 302 may be configured as a meshnetwork in which each component may communicate with one or all of theother components directly, bypassing the central controller 302. Invarious examples, a combination of topologies may be used. For example,the remote controller 312 may communicate directly to the temperaturecontroller 308 but also relay the communication to the centralcontroller 302.

In various examples, the controllers and devices illustrated in FIG. 3may each include a processor, a storage device, and a network interface.The processor may be a general purpose central processing unit (CPU) orapplication-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The storage device mayinclude volatile or non-volatile static storage (e.g., Flash memory,RAM, EPROM, etc.). The storage device may store instructions which, whenexecuted by the processor, configure the processor to perform thefunctionality described herein. For example, a processor of the firmnesscontroller 304 may be configured to send a command to a relief valve todecrease the pressure in a bed.

In various examples, the network interface of the components may beconfigured to transmit and receive communications in a variety of wiredand wireless protocols. For example, the network interface may beconfigured to use the 802.11 standards (e.g., 802.11a/b/c/g/n/ac), PANnetwork standards such as 802.15.4 or Bluetooth, infrared, cellularstandards (e.g., 3G/4G etc.), Ethernet, and USB for receiving andtransmitting data. The previous list is not intended to be exhaustiveand other protocols may be used. Not all components of FIG. 3 need to beconfigured to use the same protocols. For example, the remote controller312 may communicate with the central controller 302 via Bluetooth whilethe temperature controller 308 and the articulation controller 306 areconnected to the central controller using 802.15.4. Within FIG. 3, thelightning connectors represent wireless connections and the solid linesrepresent wired connections, however, the connections between thecomponents is not limited to such connections and each connection may bewired or wireless. For example, the voice controller 316 can beconnected wirelessly to the central controller 302.

Moreover, in various examples, the processor, storage device, andnetwork interface of a component may be located in different locationsthan various elements used to effect a command. For example, as in FIG.1, the firmness controller 302 may have a pump that is housed in aseparate enclosure than the processor used to control the pump. Similarseparation of elements may be employed for the other controllers anddevices in FIG. 3.

In various examples, the firmness controller 304 is configured toregulate pressure in an air mattress. For example, the firmnesscontroller 304 may include a pump such as described with reference toFIG. 2 (see e.g., pump 20). Thus, in an example, the firmness controller304 may respond to commands to increase or decrease pressure in the airmattress. The commands may be received from another component or basedon stored application instructions that are part of the firmnesscontroller 304.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the central controller 302 includes thefirmness controller 304. Thus, in an example, the processor of thecentral controller 302 and the firmness controller 304 may be the sameprocessor. Furthermore, the pump may also be part of the centralcontroller 302. Accordingly, the central controller 302 may beresponsible for pressure regulation as well as other functionality asdescribed in further portions of this disclosure.

In various examples, the articulation controller 306 is configured toadjust the position of a bed mattress (e.g., bed 301) by adjusting afoundation 307 that supports the bed mattress. In an example, the bed301 can include a single foundation 307 configured to adjust theposition of a bed having a single mattress. In another example, the bed301 can include two side-by-side foundations 307 configured to operatein tandem to adjust the position of a bed having a single mattress. Inyet another example, the bed 301 can include two side-by-side mattressessupported by two side-by-side foundations 307, wherein the foundations307 are operable independently such that separate positions may be setfor the two different mattresses of the bed 301. The foundation 307 mayinclude more than one zone, e.g., a head portion 318 and a foot portion320, which may be independently adjusted. The articulation controller306 may also be configured to provide different levels of massage to aperson on the bed.

In various examples, the temperature controller 308 is configured toincrease, decrease, or maintain the temperature of a user. For example,a pad may be placed on top of or be part of the air mattress. Air may bepushed through the pad and vented to cool off a user of the bed.Conversely, the pad may include a heating element that may be used tokeep the user warm. In various examples, the pad includes thetemperature sensor 309 and the temperature controller 308 receivestemperature readings from the temperature sensor 309. In other examples,the temperature sensor 309 can be separate from the pad, e.g., part ofthe air mattress or foundation. Alternatively or in addition, a blanketcan be provided having similar functionality to the pad.

In various examples, additional controllers may communicate with thecentral controller 302. These controllers may include, but are notlimited to, illumination controllers for controlling the power status(e.g., on or off) or intensity of light elements 311 and 322A-F placedon and around the bed, audio/visual controllers for controlling thepower status or volume of one or more audio/visual components 313located near the bed, thermostat controllers for controlling atemperature setting of a thermostat device 315, and outlet controllersfor controlling power to one or more power outlets 336. In an example,the light elements 311 and 322A-F can be network controlled lights.

In various examples, the external network device 310, the remotecontrollers 312, 314 and the voice controller 316 may be used to inputcommands (e.g., from a user or remote system) to control one or morecomponents of the system architecture 300. The commands may betransmitted from one of the controllers 312, 314, or 316 and received inthe central controller 302. The central controller 302 may process thecommand to determine the appropriate component to route the receivedcommand. For example, each command sent via one of controllers 312, 314,or 316 may include a header or other metadata that indicates whichcomponent the command is for. The central controller 302 may thentransmit the command via the central controller 302's network interfaceto the appropriate component.

For example, a user may input a desired temperature for the user's bedinto the remote controller 312. The desired temperature may beencapsulated in a command data structure that includes the temperatureas well as identifies the temperature controller 308 as the desiredcomponent to be controlled. The command data structure may then betransmitted via Bluetooth to the central controller 302. In variousexamples, the command data structure is encrypted before beingtransmitted. The central controller 302 may parse the command datastructure and relay the command to the temperature controller 308 usinga PAN. The temperature controller 308 may then configure its elements toincrease or decrease the temperature of the pad depending on thetemperature originally input into the remote controller 312.

In one example implementation, the central controller 302 can detectuser presence using temperature changes detected in the mattress, e.g.,using one or more temperature sensors positioned in or on the mattress.The temperature sensors and the central controller 302 can detect a risein temperature, e.g., over a specified period of time, and determinethat a user is present in the bed. For example, if the centralcontroller 302 detects a rise in temperature and then determines thatthe detected rise in temperature was not caused by the system'stemperature controller 308, the central controller 302 can determinethat the user is present.

In various examples, data may be transmitted from a component back toone or more of the remote controllers. For example, the currenttemperature as determined by a sensor element of the temperaturecontroller 308, e.g., the temperature sensor 309, the pressure of thebed, the current position of the foundation or other information may betransmitted to the central controller 302. The central controller 302may then transmit the received information and transmit it to the remotecontroller 312 where it may be displayed to the user.

In various examples, multiple types of devices may be used to inputcommands to control the components of the architecture 300. For example,the remote controller 312 may be a mobile device such as a smart phoneor tablet computer running an application. Other examples of the remotecontroller 312 may include a dedicated device for interacting with thecomponents described herein. In various examples, the remote controllers312/314 include a display device for displaying an interface to a user.The remote controller 312/314 may also include one or more inputdevices. Input devices may include, but are not limited to, keypads,touchscreen, gesture, motion and voice controls.

The remote controller 314 may be a single component remote configured tointeract with one component of the mattress architecture. For example,the remote controller 314 may be configured to accept inputs to increaseor decrease the air mattress pressure. The voice controller 316 may beconfigured to accept voice commands to control one or more components.In various examples, more than one of the remote controllers 312/314 andthe voice controller 316 may be used.

With respect to the remote controller 312, the application may beconfigured to pair with one or more central controllers. For eachcentral controller, data may be transmitted to the mobile device thatincludes a list of components linked with the central controller. Forexample, consider that the remote controller 312 is a mobile phone andthat the application has been authenticated and paired with the centralcontroller 302. The remote controller 312 may transmit a discoveryrequest to the central controller 302 to inquire about other componentsand available services. In response, the central controller 302 maytransmit a list of services that includes available functions foradjusting the firmness of the bed, position of the bed, and temperatureof the bed. In various embodiments, the application may then displayfunctions for increasing/decreasing pressure of the air mattress,adjusting positions of the bed, and adjusting temperature. If componentsare added/removed to the architecture under control of the centralcontroller 302, an updated list may be transmitted to the remotecontroller 312 and the interface of the application may be adjustedaccordingly.

In various examples, the central controller 302 is configured as adistributor of software updates to components in the architecture 300.For example, a firmware update for the temperature controller 308 maybecome available. The update may be loaded into a storage device of thecentral controller 302 (e.g., via a USB interface or using wirelesstechniques). In wireless applications, the central controller 302 may,for example, receive updates from the cloud either from wifi or from amobile connection over Bluetooth. The central controller 302 may thentransmit the update to the temperature controller 308 with instructionsto update. The temperature controller 308 may attempt to install theupdate. A status message may be transmitted from the temperaturecontroller 308 to the central controller 302 indicating the success orfailure of the update.

In various examples, the central controller 302 is configured to analyzedata collected by a pressure transducer (e.g., the transducer 46 withrespect to FIG. 2) to determine various states of a person lying on thebed 301. For example, the central controller 302 may determine the heartrate, respiration rate, or movement of a person lying in the bed 301.Additional processing may be done using the collected data to determinea possible sleep state of the person. For example, the centralcontroller 302 may determine when a person falls asleep and, whileasleep, the various sleep states of the person. The collected data mayalso be used to determine when a person is snoring. In another example,rather than performing the data analysis in the central controller 302,a digital signal processor (DSP) can be provided to analyze the datacollected by the pressure transducer. Alternatively, the data collectedby the pressure transducer could be sent to a cloud-based computingsystem for remote analysis.

In various examples, the external network device 310 includes a networkinterface to interact with an external server for processing and storageof data related to components in the architecture 300. For example, thedetermined sleep data as described above may be transmitted via anetwork (e.g., the Internet) from the central controller 302 to theexternal network device 310 for storage. In an example, the pressuretransducer data may be transmitted to the external server for additionalanalysis. The external network device 310 may also analyze and filterthe data before transmitting it to the external server.

In an example, diagnostic data of the components may also be routed tothe external network device 310 for storage and diagnosis on theexternal server. For example, if the temperature controller 308 detectsan abnormal temperature reading (e.g., a drop in temperature over oneminute that exceeds a set threshold) diagnostic data (sensor readings,current settings, etc.) may be wireless transmitted from the temperaturecontroller 308 to the central controller 302. The central controller 302may then transmit this data via USB to the external network device 310.The external network device 310 may wirelessly transmit the informationto an WLAN access point where it is routed to the external server foranalysis.

In one example, the bed system architecture 300 can include one or morebed lights 322A-322F (referred to collectively in this disclosure as“bed lights 322”) to illuminate a portion of a room, e.g., when a usergets out of the bed 301. The lights 322 can be attached around thefoundation 307, e.g., affixed to the foundation around its perimeter. InFIG. 3, the lights 322 are depicted as extending around two sides of thefoundation 307. In other configurations, the lights 322 can extendaround more than two sides of the foundation 307, or only a single side.In one example implementation, the lights 322 can be positionedunderneath the foundation 307 to project light outwardly from thefoundation 307. The bed system architecture 300 can also include one ormore lights 311 that are not positioned on the bed, such as overheadlights or bedside lamps. The bed system architecture 300 can provide forthe control of both the bed lights 322 and the surrounding room lights311.

Example Machine Architecture and Machine-Readable Medium

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a machine in the example form of a computersystem 400 within which instructions, for causing the machine to performany one or more of the methodologies discussed herein, may be executed.In alternative embodiments, the machine operates as a standalone deviceor may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networkeddeployment, the machine may operate in the capacity of a server or aclient machine in a server-client network environment, or as a peermachine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. Themachine may be a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box(STB), a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone, a webappliance, a network router, switch or bridge, or any machine capable ofexecuting instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions tobe taken by that machine. Further, while only a single machine isillustrated, the term “machine” shall also be taken to include anycollection of machines that individually or jointly execute a set (ormultiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of themethodologies discussed herein.

The example computer system 400 includes a processor 402 (e.g., acentral processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), ASIC ora combination), a main memory 404 and a static memory 406, whichcommunicate with each other via a bus 408. The computer system 400 mayfurther include a video display unit 410 (e.g., a liquid crystal display(LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT)). The computer system 400 alsoincludes an alphanumeric input device 412 (e.g., a keyboard and/ortouchscreen), a user interface (UI) navigation device 414 (e.g., amouse), a disk drive unit 416, a signal generation device 418 (e.g., aspeaker) and a network interface device 420.

Machine-Readable Medium

The disk drive unit 416 includes a machine-readable medium 422 on whichis stored one or more sets of instructions and data structures (e.g.,software) 424 embodying or utilized by any one or more of themethodologies or functions described herein. The instructions 424 mayalso reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory404 and/or within the processor 402 during execution thereof by thecomputer system 400, the main memory 404 and the processor 402 alsoconstituting machine-readable media.

While the machine-readable medium 422 is shown in an example embodimentto be a single medium, the term “machine-readable medium” may include asingle medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributeddatabase, and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one ormore instructions or data structures. The term “machine-readable medium”shall also be taken to include any tangible medium that is capable ofstoring, encoding or carrying instructions for execution by the machineand that cause the machine to perform any one or more of themethodologies of the present invention, or that is capable of storing,encoding or carrying data structures utilized by or associated with suchinstructions. The term “machine-readable medium” shall accordingly betaken to include, but not be limited to, solid-state memories, andoptical and magnetic media. Specific examples of machine-readable mediainclude non-volatile memory, including by way of example semiconductormemory devices, e.g., Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM),Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), and flashmemory devices; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removabledisks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks.

Transmission Medium

The instructions 424 may further be transmitted or received over acommunications network 426 using a transmission medium. The instructions424 may be transmitted using the network interface device 420 and anyone of a number of well-known transfer protocols (e.g., HTTP). Examplesof communication networks include a local area network (“LAN”), a widearea network (“WAN”), the Internet, mobile telephone networks, Plain OldTelephone (POTS) networks, and wireless data networks (e.g., WiFi andWiMax networks). The term “transmission medium” shall be taken toinclude any intangible medium that is capable of storing, encoding orcarrying instructions for execution by the machine, and includes digitalor analog communications signals or other intangible media to facilitatecommunication of such software.

Snoring Detection Techniques

In addition to the techniques described above, this disclosure isdirected to techniques for detection of various aspects of a user of thesystem architecture 300. For example, and as described in further detailbelow, user snoring can be detected using various techniques describedin this disclosure

In a first technique for snoring detection, the system architecture 300can detect biometric parameters of a user such as motion, respiration,and heartbeat. These biometric parameters can be detected both while theuser is awake and while the user is sleeping. In various examples, thebiometric parameters can be used to determine a sleep state of the userand whether the user is snoring. Techniques for monitoring a user'ssleep using heart rate information, respiration rate information, andother user information are disclosed in U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 20100170043 to Steven J. Young et al., titled “APPARATUSFOR MONITORING VITAL SIGNS,” the entire content of which is incorporatedherein by reference. After snoring is detected, the system architecture300 and, in particular, the central controller 302, can make one or moreadjustments to the sleep environment or the bed 301 as will be discussedin further detail below. In an example, the user can instruct the systemarchitecture 300 to monitor for snoring after the user falls asleep andto initiate specific changes to the sleep environment or the bed 301upon detection of snoring. In another example, the system architecture300 can automatically, e.g., without user instruction, monitor forsnoring and determine what changes should be made, if any, to the sleepenvironment or the bed 301. In yet another example, when two users arelying on the bed 301 side-by-side, the system architecture 300 candetermine which of the users is snoring and initiate the changes to thatuser's side of the bed.

In accordance with this disclosure, the central controller 302, oranother processing means associated with the bed 301, can detect usersleeping motion, respiration, and heartbeat via pressure changes. Forexample, the pressure transducer 46 (of FIG. 2) can be used to monitorthe air pressure in the air mattress of the bed 301. If the user on theair mattress is not moving, the air pressure changes in the mattress canbe relatively minimal, and can be attributable to respiration andheartbeat. When the user on the air mattress is moving, however, the airpressure in the mattress can fluctuate by a much larger amount. Thus,the pressure signals generated by the pressure transducer 46 andreceived by the central controller 302 can be filtered and indicated ascorresponding to motion, heartbeat, or respiration.

In one example implementation, the central controller 302 can executeinstructions that cause the pressure transducer 46 to measure airpressure values at a predefined sample rate. The central controller 302can store the pressure signals in a memory device. Processing of thepressure signals can be performed by the central controller 302, or at alocation remote from the bed 301, such as on a processor of asmartphone, a mobile device, or a cloud-based computing system.

As indicated above, the central controller 302 can determine a user'ssleep state, e.g., rapid eye movement (“REM”) or non-rapid eye movement(“NREM”), by using one or more of the biometric parameters. In anexample, the central controller 302 can execute instructions to monitorthe snoring state of the user only after the user has reached aparticular sleep state.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram depicting an example method (500) of detectingsnoring using biometric parameters. In FIG. 5, the central controller302 executes instructions that cause a pressure sensing means, such asthe pressure transducer 46 of FIG. 2, to measure pressure variations(502). In an example, the pressure can be measured continuously or at apredetermined sample rate. The central controller 302 can analyze thepressure changes detected by the pressure sensing means (504). Usinginformation derived from these analyzed pressure changes, one or morebiometric parameters can be determined (506). After determining the oneor more biometric parameters of the user, the central controller 302 cancompare the biometric parameters with predetermined values, ranges, orpatterns which are indicative of snoring (508). In this manner, thecentral controller 302 can identify snoring by the user (510). Afteruser snoring has been identified, the central controller 302 cancontinue to monitor the user (512) to determine if the snoring ceases,becomes more severe, becomes less severe, or remains at a substantiallyconstant level.

As previously mentioned, in some example implementations, the techniquesfor detecting the user's sleep state can be combined with the techniquesfor detecting snoring using biometric parameters. For example, prior tomonitoring pressure changes using the pressure sensing means todetermine whether the user is snoring, the central controller 302 candetermine whether the user has reached a predetermined sleep state.Thus, determining that the user has reached the predetermined state ofsleep can be a prerequisite to instructing the central controller 302 toperform the method 500 described above. Alternatively, the centralcontroller 302 can execute instructions to monitor sleep state andpressure changes simultaneously or substantially simultaneously, and thecombined results can be used to determine whether the user is snoring.

In another technique for snoring detection, the system architecture 300can be configured to detect snoring by monitoring sound waves through amicrophone, which can be included in the voice controller 316 asdiscussed above. In various examples, the system architecture 300 canalso be configured to detect snoring by monitoring a combination of bothsound waves and biometric parameters. In general, snoring sounds areformed when tissues in the user's throat vibrate as air if flowingthrough the throat during sleep. In one example implementation, thecentral controller 302 can execute instructions that cause the voicecontroller 316 to monitor sound waves generated by the user, and tostore the corresponding sound wave signals in a memory device.Processing of the sound wave signals can be performed by the centralcontroller 302, or at a location remote from the bed 301. A snoringstate can be determined by monitoring parameters such as the audiblelevel of the sound waves, the frequency of the sound waves, sound wavepatterns, and the like. For example, sound waves generated during normalconversation levels of a user may be 40 decibels or less, while soundwaves generated by the user's snoring may be in the range of 60-90decibels or more. By analyzing the sound waves generated by the user,the presence, intensity, duration, and patterns of snoring can bedetermined.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram depicting an example method (600) of detectingsnoring using sound waves. In FIG. 6, the central controller 302executes instructions that cause the voice controller 316 to measuresound waves (602). In an example, the sound waves can be measuredcontinuously or at a predetermined sample rate. The central controller302 can determine baseline parameters of the sound waves (604) when theuser is falling asleep. Then, the central controller 302 can monitor forchanges in the current audible level, frequency, and wave patterns(606). If the central controller 302 detects one or more changes withrespect to the baseline parameters, the central controller 302 cancompare the current parameters with predetermined values or ranges ofaudible levels and frequencies, as well wave patterns, which areindicative of snoring (608). In this manner, the central controller 302can identify snoring by the user (610). After user snoring has beenidentified, the central controller 302 can continue to monitor the user(612) to determine if the snoring ceases, becomes more severe, becomesless severe, or remains at a substantially constant level.

Once again, in some example implementations, the techniques fordetecting the user's sleep state can be combined with the techniques fordetecting snoring using sound waves. For example, prior to monitoringsound waves using the voice controller 316 to determine whether the useris snoring, the central controller 302 can determine whether the userhas reached a predetermined sleep state. Thus, determining that the userhas reached the predetermined state of sleep can be a prerequisite toinstructing the central controller 302 to perform the method 600described above. Alternatively, the central controller 302 can executeinstructions to monitor sleep state and sound waves simultaneously orsubstantially simultaneously, and the combined results can be used todetermine whether the user is snoring.

Snoring Detection Response Techniques

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram depicting an example method (700) of initiatingone or more adjustments upon detecting that a user is snoring. In FIG.7, the central controller 302 executes instructions to determine whetherthe user is snoring (702). Various examples include, but are not limitedto, detecting snoring based on analysis of biometric parameters or basedon sound waves. When user snoring has been detected, the systemarchitecture 300 and, in particular, the central controller 302, canexecute instructions that cause one or more adjustments to the sleepenvironment and/or the bed 301 to be implemented (704). A non-exhaustivelisting and discussion of these various changes is provided below. Whenthe snoring ceases, the central controller 302 can optionally executeinstructions that cause one or more of the previous adjustments made tothe sleep environment and/or the bed 301 to revert back to thepre-snoring state or condition (706). These optional “re-adjustments”can occur immediately upon detecting that the snoring has ceased, orafter a predetermined amount of time has passed since the last snore hasbeen detected.

In an example, the central controller 302 can execute instructions thatcause the firmness controller 304 to adjust pressure in the air mattressof the bed 301 when snoring is detected (704). For example, the centralcontroller 302 can provide commands to the firmness controller 304 toincrease or decrease pressure in the air mattress, via the pump 305, toa level that can help relieve the snoring. If the system architecture300 detects that snoring continues even after the pressure in the airmattress has been modified, the central controller 302 can provideadditional commands to the firmness controller 304 to further adjust thepressure in the air mattress. Thus, the process of adjusting pressure inthe air mattress of the bed 301 to relieve snoring can be iterative.Additionally, if the air mattress includes multiple bladderscorresponding to separate zones as discussed above, the centralcontroller 302 can execute instructions that cause the firmnesscontroller 304 to adjust pressure in one or more selected zones, such asthe zone corresponding to the head of the user.

In another example, the central controller 302 can execute instructionsthat cause an adjustment to be made to the foundation 307 when snoringis detected (704). As discussed above, the foundation 307 may includemore than one zone, such as a head portion 318 and a foot portion 320,which may be independently adjusted. The user may fall asleep with thefoundation 307 in a “flat” position, or with the head portion 318 and/orthe foot portion 320 in a raised, articulated position. In variousexamples, the bed 301 can include a “snore” position defined by apredetermined articulation of the foundation 307. It has been foundthat, in some cases, snoring can be reduced or prevented by elevatingthe head of the snoring user by a small amount, which can reducevibration of the soft tissue in the user's throat. The slight elevationof the snoring user's head can also induce the snorer to change his orher sleeping position, which can cause the snoring to stop. In anexample, the snore position can include the head portion 318 beingraised at a preset angle θ relative to horizontal. In an example, theangle θ can be from about 5° to about 15° from horizontal, such as about7°. However, any angle θ that can help reduce or eliminate vibration ofsoft tissue within the throat of the user can be used. In variousexamples, the snore position can be customizable to a particular userbased on the amount of articulation that is found to help relievesnoring in that user. For example, a large, heavy-set user may require alarger inclination angle than a thin, petite user. Thus, pre-programmedsnore positions can be updated in accordance with user preferences andbody types.

In another example, the central controller 302 can execute instructionsthat cause the temperature controller 308 to adjust a temperature of thebed 301 when snoring is detected (704). As discussed above, in variousexamples, the temperature of the bed 301 (and thus, the user) can beregulated using a pad placed on top of the mattress, a blanket placed ontop of the user, or heating/cooling elements incorporated into themattress, such as a heating/cooling pad integrated into the mattress.Certain users may tend to snore more or less depending on their bodytemperature and the temperature of the surroundings, such as the bed301. Thus, heating up or cooling down the bed 301 can help some usersfind relief from snoring. For example, the temperature of the sleepingsurface of the bed 301 could be lowered from 20° Celsius to 18° Celsiuswhen snoring is detected. However, any temperature change, whetherpositive or negative, can be utilized. Similarly, the central controller302 can execute instructions that cause the thermostat device 315 toadjust the temperature of the surrounding environment, such as thebedroom where the bed 301 is located, when snoring is detected (704). Inview of the foregoing, user temperature can be regulated through use ofthe temperature controller 308, the thermostat device 315, or both.

The level of light and sound in a bedroom environment can affect thedepth and quality of sleep for a user. Thus, when the goal is toalleviate snoring and provide a more restful night of sleep, light andsound can also be controlled to provide an ideal set of sleepconditions. In another example, the central controller 302 can executeinstructions for controlling the power status (e.g., on or off) orintensity of light elements 311 or 322A-F placed on and around the bed,and/or for controlling the power status or volume of one or moreaudio/visual components 313 located near the bed, when snoring isdetected (704).

Sleep Profile Reporting

In accordance with the present disclosure, the system architecture 300can also enable feedback related to snoring to be provided to the user.In various examples, the snoring information processed and analyzed bythe central controller 302 can be provided to the user in variousformats and to various devices.

In an example, the central controller 302 can execute instructions thatcause a sleep profile report to be generated and transmitted to one ormore of the remote controller 312, the remote controller 314, or anexternal computing device such as, for example, a personal computer(PC), a tablet PC, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), or the like. Theexternal computing device can be operably coupled to the bed 301 via anysuitable network connection, including those previously described.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a sleep profile report 800 generated ona laptop computer 802. In an example, the sleep profile report 800 canindicate the total amount of time that the user was asleep during thenight (or day). The sleep profile report 800 can also indicate the timesat which the user fell asleep and woke up. The total amount of time thatthe user was asleep can be determined using any suitable technique,including monitoring pressure changes in an air mattress as discussedabove and deriving the sleep time from information related to the user'sstate of sleep throughout the night. As further shown in FIG. 8, thesleep profile report 800 can quantify the amount of time that the userwas found to be snoring while asleep during the night. In variousexamples, the snoring duration can be presented as a total number ofhours and minutes, as a percentage, or both.

Sleep profile reports 800 can be stored in memory associated with thesystem architecture 300 for recall at a later time. In an example, thecentral controller 302 can execute instructions that cause the sleepprofile report 800 to display the amount of sleep that a user hasaveraged over a specified number of days, and the amount of snoring thatthe user has averaged during that time. For example, the sleep profilereport 800 shows average sleep and snoring over the previous 30 days.However, a number of days greater than or less than 30 can also be used.

Although various embodiments have been described with reference tospecific example embodiments, it will be evident that variousmodifications and changes may be made to these embodiments withoutdeparting from the broader spirit and scope of the invention.Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in anillustrative rather than a restrictive sense. The accompanying drawingsthat form a part hereof, show by way of illustration, and not oflimitation, specific embodiments in which the subject matter may bepracticed. The embodiments illustrated are described in sufficientdetail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the teachingsdisclosed herein. Other embodiments may be utilized and derivedtherefrom, such that structural and logical substitutions and changesmay be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. ThisDetailed Description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense,and the scope of various embodiments is defined only by the appendedclaims, along with the full range of equivalents to which such claimsare entitled. As is common, the terms “a” and “an” may refer to one ormore unless otherwise indicated.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method of operating a bed system, themethod comprising: receiving, by a control system, pressure signalsobtained from pressure sensors for sensing internal pressure of an airmattress; Determining, by the control system, pressure change values forthe air mattress using the received pressure signals; analyzing thepressure change values to determine one or more of a heart rate, arespiration rate, or positional movement for a user on the air mattress;submitting one or more of the determined heart rate, respiration rate,or positional movement to a comparison in which the submitted one ormore of the determined heart rate, respiration rate, or positionalmovement are tested for being indicative of snoring; determining thatthe user on the air mattress is snoring based on the comparison in whichthe one or more of the determined heart rate, respiration rate, orpositional movement are tested; and transmitting, in response todetermining that the user is snoring, at least one instruction to adjusta position of at least a portion of the air mattress.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the at least one instruction to adjust a position of atleast a portion of the air mattress is transmitted to a positioncontroller for an adjustable foundation that supports the air mattress.3. The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting a position of at least aportion of the air mattress includes changing a position of at least aportion of an adjustable foundation that supports the air mattress. 4.The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one instruction to adjust aposition of at least a portion of the air mattress is an instruction toadjust a head position of the air mattress without adjusting a footposition of the air mattress.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the atleast one instruction to adjust a position of at least a portion of theair mattress is an instruction to adjust a head position of anadjustable foundation that supports the air mattress.
 6. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the at least one instruction to adjust a position of atleast a portion of the air mattress is an instruction to adjust aninternal pressure of the air mattress.
 7. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising transmitting, in response to determining that the user issnoring, at least one instruction to adjust a temperature of the user'ssleep environment.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprisingtransmitting, in response to determining that the user is snoring, atleast one instruction to adjust a sound volume of an audio devicelocated in the user's sleep environment.
 9. The method of claim 1,wherein the at least one instruction to adjust a position of at least aportion of the air mattress is an instruction to adjust a vibration ofthe air mattress.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein: the air mattressis supported by an adjustable foundation; the air mattress isoperatively connected to a pump; and the pressure sensors are positionedwithin the pump.
 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:receiving, additional pressure signals obtained from the pressuresensors for sensing internal pressure of the air mattress; determiningadditional pressure change values for the air mattress using thereceived additional pressure signals; analyzing the additional pressurechange values to determine one or more biometric parameters for anadditional user on the air mattress; comparing the one or more biometricparameters for the additional user with predetermined values, thepredetermined values being indicative of snoring; determining that theadditional user on the air mattress is not snoring based on comparingthe one or more biometric parameters for the additional user with thepredetermined values; and transmitting, in response to determining thatthe user is snoring and that the additional user is not snoring, atleast one instruction to adjust a position of at least a portion of theair mattress supporting the user.
 12. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: prior to submitting the one or more of the determined heartrate, respiration rate, or positional movement to the comparison inwhich the submitted one or more of the determined heart rate,respiration rate, or positional movement are tested for being indicativeof snoring: receiving, by the control system, other pressure signalsobtained from the pressure sensors; determining, by the control system,other pressure change values for the air mattress using the otherreceived pressure signals; analyzing the other pressure change values todetermine one or more biometric parameters for the user on the airmattress; and determining that the user has reached a predeterminedsleep state based on the one or more biometric parameters for the useron the air mattress; wherein submitting the one or more of thedetermined heart rate, respiration rate, or positional movement to thecomparison is performed in response to determining that the user hasreached the predetermined sleep state.
 13. The method of claim 12,wherein determining that the user has reached the predetermined sleepstate includes: comparing the one or more biometric parameters for theuser to one or more predetermined values indicative of the predeterminedsleep state.
 14. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receivingadditional pressure signals obtained from the pressure sensors forsensing internal pressure of the air mattress; determining additionalpressure change values for the air mattress using the receivedadditional pressure signals; analyzing the additional pressure changevalues to determine one or more biometric parameters for the user on theair mattress; comparing the one or more biometric parameters withpredetermined values, the predetermined values being indicative ofsnoring; determining that the user on the air mattress is no longersnoring based on comparing the one or more biometric parameters with thepredetermined values; and transmitting, in response to determining thatthe user is no longer snoring and after a predetermined amount of timehas passed since determining that the user is no longer snoring, atleast one instruction to adjust the position of at least the portion ofthe air mattress supporting the user to a previous position.
 15. Themethod of claim 1, wherein submitting one or more of the determinedheart rate, respiration rate, or positional movement to the comparisoncomprises comparing the determined heart rate to one or morepredetermined values.
 16. The method of claim 1, wherein submitting oneor more of the determined heart rate, respiration rate, or positionalmovement to the comparison comprises comparing the determinedrespiration rate to one or more predetermined values.
 17. The method ofclaim 1, wherein submitting one or more of the determined heart rate,respiration rate, or positional movement to the comparison comprisescomparing the determined positional movement to one or morepredetermined values.
 18. A method of operating a bed system, the methodcomprising: receiving, by a control system, pressure signals obtainedfrom pressure sensors for sensing internal pressure of an air mattress;determining, by the control system, pressure change values for the airmattress using the received pressure signals; analyzing the pressurechange values to determine one or more of a heart rate, a respirationrate, or positional movement for a user on the air mattress; comparingone or more of the determined heart rate, respiration rate, orpositional movement with one or more predetermined values, the one ormore predetermined values being indicative of snoring; determining thatthe user on the air mattress is snoring based on comparing one or moreof the determined heart rate, respiration rate, or positional movementwith the one or more predetermined values; and transmitting, in responseto determining that the user is snoring, at least one instruction toadjust a parameter of a device within the user's sleep environment. 19.The method of claim 18 wherein the at least one instruction to adjust aparameter of a device within the user's sleep environment is at leastone instruction to adjust a sound volume of an audio device located inthe user's sleep environment.
 20. The method of claim 18 wherein the atleast one instruction to adjust a parameter of a device within theuser's sleep environment is at least one instruction to adjust atemperature of a thermostat device that controls temperature in theuser's sleep environment.
 21. The method of claim 18 wherein the atleast one instruction to adjust a parameter of a device within theuser's sleep environment is at least one instruction to adjust a headposition of a sleep surface associated with the air mattress.
 22. Themethod of claim 18, further comprising: prior to comparing the one ormore of the determined heart rate, respiration rate, or positionalmovement with one or more predetermined values: receiving, by thecontrol system, other pressure signals obtained from the pressuresensors; determining, by the control system, other pressure changevalues for the air mattress using the other received pressure signals;analyzing the other pressure change values to determine one or morebiometric parameters for the user on the air mattress; and determiningthat the user has reached a predetermined sleep state based on the oneor more biometric parameters for the user on the air mattress; whereincomparing the one or more biometric parameters with the one or morepredetermined values is performed in response to determining that theuser has reached the predetermined sleep state.
 23. The method of claim22, wherein determining that the user has reached the predeterminedsleep state includes: comparing the one or more biometric parameters forthe user to one or more predetermined values indicative of thepredetermined sleep state.
 24. The method of claim 18, wherein comparingone or more of the determined heart rate, respiration rate, orpositional movement with one or more predetermined values comprisescomparing the determined heart rate to the one or more predeterminedvalues.
 25. The method of claim 18, wherein comparing one or more of thedetermined heart rate, respiration rate, or positional movement with oneor more predetermined values comprises comparing the determinedrespiration rate to the one or more predetermined values.
 26. The methodof claim 18, wherein comparing one or more of the determined heart rate,respiration rate, or positional movement with one or more predeterminedvalues comprises comparing the determined positional movement to the oneor more predetermined values.
 27. A tangible, non-transitory recordablemedium having recorded thereon instructions, that when executed, cause acomputing system to perform actions that comprise: receiving, by acontrol system, pressure signals obtained from pressure sensors forsensing internal pressure of an air mattress; determining, by thecontrol system, pressure change values for the air mattress using thereceived pressure signals; analyzing the pressure change values todetermine one or more of a heart rate, a respiration rate, or positionalmovement for a user on the air mattress; comparing one or more of thedetermined heart rate, respiration rate, or positional movement with oneor more predetermined values, the one or more predetermined values beingindicative of snoring; determining that the user on the air mattress issnoring based on comparing one or more of the determined heart rate,respiration rate, or positional movement with the one or morepredetermined values; and transmitting, in response to determining thatthe user is snoring, at least one instruction to adjust a position of atleast a portion of the air mattress.